His Son
by Rasengan22
Summary: When Naruto dies, he leaves behind more than his legacy, he leaves Sasuke his son. Spoilers up to 579.
1. 10 months, 3 years old, 7 years old

**a/n: **Contains spoilers up to 579 (but that's in the third part). Hint of SasuSaku and Naruto/someone.

**Summary: **When Naruto dies, he leaves behind more than his legacy, he leaves Sasuke his son.

* * *

><p>Sasuke propped the 10 month old on the counter for what felt like only a few minutes as he dug around in the refrigerator for ingredients to make fresh baby food, but when he turned around at the sound of a screeching wail, he discovered the child had rolled off of the counter and landed on the floor. Despite what should have been excellent reflexes given that he was a ninja of advanced skills - he froze. The child's face almost turned blue after he kept continuously sucking in and holding his breath for a near minute between cries until Sasuke, not knowing what else to do, picked him up under the armpits and held him while his little legs kicked back and forth like he was treading water. Still, the kid continued to cry his heart out, and Sasuke felt helpless. He finally brought the baby against his chest, cuddled him, and stroked his back, trying his best to whisper soothing words into the tiny, delicate ear.<p>

"There, there," he cooed, attempting to hide the annoyance from his tone.

Surprisingly, the child did calm after some time, his head pressed to Sasuke's shoulder, drool slipping from his mouth after he'd fallen asleep. His chest rose and fell against Sasuke's, shuddering every once in a while with a hiccup. He looked down at the baby - his ruddy red face, where the cheeks were tear-streaked and the messy blond hair fell over his eyes. He pushed it away, able to imagine the color of the child's eyes even when they were closed. The only real trace of the mother must have been the shape of the face. It wasn't as round as his father's. There were no whisker marks, of course. The nose might be different, too. Perhaps, just a bit longer and the tip turned up, thought Sasuke as he traced his finger lightly over the bridge.

The child shifted against him, his fingers clinging to the back of Sasuke's jounin vest. Sasuke watched his face as the thin, rosy lips parted to emit a helpless, exasperated sigh. He sighed in response, realizing he was doing so only in the middle of it. Alone in the kitchen, he was glad there was no one there to see him as he bit the side of his lip (it was sore already as it had become a strange nervous habit of his) and he bowed his head, letting his dark hair fall in front of his eyes.

He went into the spare room, where the crib had been placed. He had to meet his teammates in a half hour in front of the command post near the southern entrance of the village. Sakura would be coming over soon to watch the baby.

Sasuke lay him flat inside the crib. There was a stuffed toy in the shape of a green lizard that had proven to be the child's favorite. He set it in the flabby crook of the child's elbow, waiting for the expected reaction - the fingers on the baby's left hand twitched and he grabbed for the toy, smothering it to his chest as his mouth opened and closed as if ready to chew on the stuffed lizard's head. Sasuke made sure the monitor was on, and as he left the room, he kept the door open half way.

Downstairs, he waited for Sakura's arrival while filling enough containers of baby food to last the duration of his mission. When Sakura let herself in, they exchanged a few brief pleasantries, with her kind enough not to point out the distinct dark bags that had formed under his eyes, threatening to remain permanently. It was already disturbing enough to look in the mirror and instantly be reminded of the Kazekage.

As he left the house, all was quiet, and passing through the gated fence, the gears changed along with the oncoming stone-faced expression he wore, and there was nothing in his thoughts except the mission ahead.

* * *

><p>The boy had been named Akiyoshi, meaning "bright and good". Whether it had been his father or mother who had come up with the name, Sasuke was uncertain. He didn't always address the child by name, but Sakura and some of the other kunoichi who came around to baby-sit once in a while, often called him Aki-chan.<p>

"Aki-chan, he's so adorable. Look at those beautiful eyes!" or "Aki-chan, even when you throw up all over Sasuke, you're just the sweetest thing in the world! I could just take you home with me!"

On several occasions, Sasuke had wanted to say, _Please do_.

Aki-_chan_ was three now, and it had become very clear to himself as well as Sakura that the child had inherited his father's stubborn personality. If he did not want to eat, he would not. If he did not want to sleep, he would not. If he did not want to stop drawing in crayon all over the walls of Sasuke's house, he most certainly _would not_.

But what Akiyoshi did like to do was take a bath with Sasuke. Of course, the child had a bit of a problem pronouncing his name, so it came out sounding more like "Thoth-u-thkay". Sasuke partly believed he could say the name correctly but did this just to piss him off. Sasuke would be reading a scroll on the couch as Aki-chan played with his trucks and his blocks, but then he'd crawl over to where Sasuke was sitting, tug on one of the pockets of his pants and look up at him with those big, round eyes.

"Thoth-u-thkay, do you want share bath time? Bath?"

Sasuke didn't even glance up from the scroll he'd been reading about recent negotiations between the Lands of Iron and Cloud. He'd become significantly interested in political details since deciding to move back to Konoha. With Naruto's death, the slate had been wiped clean for himself as well as the rest of the ninja world.

Even though Aki-chan pulled and tugged at his pant leg, Sasuke refused to indulge him, so the toddler did go back to his toys at least for another ten minutes before he was clumsily crawling onto the couch cushions. He huddled up to Sasuke's side and squinted at the writing on the scroll. He pointed at it.

"What that?"

"A scroll," Sasuke answered him dryly.

"Oooh. Bath now, oji-tan? M'fingers are dirty." He spread the fingers of both hands out, holding them up for Sasuke to see.

Sasuke sighed, rolled up the scroll, and went to the bookshelf to set it high enough that Akiyoshi couldn't reach it. He'd learned from experience that anything the child could get a hold of he would inevitably destroy. It was no different than having a pet, except, as Sakura had pointed out on occasion, it was not good discipline to lock a three year old into a cage.

Aki-chan stood on the couch and ran across the cushions, dislodging them with each lap, and as Sasuke was turning around, he had just enough time to sprint over when the boy lost his footing and was about to tumble over the arm of the couch into the lamp.

"So fast!" Akiyoshi's eyes were wide with astonishment and awe. "Thoth-u-thkay so fast! Amazing. Bath now?"

He'd caught him in such a way that Aki lay horizontally in Sasuke's arms, face down toward the floor. The child made a series of noises that went like _buuuuurrrr buuuuurrr_.

"I'm an airplane!" he cried gleefully and giggled.

Sasuke sighed and flipped Aki around, carrying him under one arm easily like a sack of potatoes. They marched up the stairs, Aki-chan babbling about the toys he wanted to choose. Sasuke went into the bathroom and turned on the faucet for the tub, testing out the temperature with his hand. Akiyoshi squirmed in his arms, so he set him down, and immediately he went to the bucket where there was a collection of bath toys.

"Only pick out two of your favorites. No more than that," Sasuke told him sternly, cutting off the water when the tub was half way filled. He removed his shirt and carefully folded it. Sasuke placed it on the sink counter, watching Aki as he tried to decide amongst four toys he'd dumped on the floor. There was a red and yellow tugboat, a tiny blue whale that squirted water out its blowhole, a stack of three different colored octopus-looking creatures, and a rubbery neon green frog. Aki kept glancing from the toys to Sasuke as if expecting him to give in on the demand of only two so that he could bring in all four.

"How many is that?" Sasuke asked him after a few minutes had passed without any hope of a decision being rendered.

"Four." Aki pouted.

"How many did I say you could bring?"

"...Four?" The boy held up three chubby fingers.

"I see you got your father's brains. How unfortunate for you," Sasuke muttered. More loudly, he said, "I said _two_. If you want me to take a bath with you, you'll do as I say."

"Why?" Aki's tone was innocently curious. "There room in tub for all of us."

Sasuke made like he was reaching for his shirt to put it on again, but Aki threw his arms out in front of him.

"Okay, okay. I'll choose, uh," Aki turned around and scrutinized his choice of toys. He crouched and picked out the tugboat, frog, and the whale. Then he threw the whale back into the pile. "Frog and boat."

"Good choice. Now get undressed."

Though they'd been working on getting Aki potty trained, he still had a considerable amount of accidents, especially during the nighttime; so, they alternated between diapers and "big boy" underwear. Aki stripped off his shirt and tossed it aside, but Sasuke reprimanded him and told him to fold it nicely, which he did without argument. He did the same with his tiny pair of cargo pants, but for those he needed a bit of assistance from Sasuke in getting them off. The underwear were folded, and Sasuke made sure Aki put them in the straw hamper himself. He lifted Aki into the water and handed him his two toys. A moment later, Sasuke got in, too, and was forced to play the role of the tugboat. Tugboat and Frog were friends, and Aki wanted them to go on a journey together. Frog would ask Tugboat about how his day was going and what he had for breakfast because Frog had eaten some really yummy flies.

Eventually, Aki got tired of Sasuke's unimaginative answers to his questions and confiscated the toy, deciding to play by himself, which was just fine with Sasuke. The water splashed, and the room filled with sharp peals of laughter. Sasuke sunk into the water and leaned his head on the edge of the tub. At one point, Aki-chan stopped splashing his toys about and stared up at him.

"You look tired," he said, his small features full of concern for Sasuke. "You take nap?"

"No. I haven't taken a nap. Sasuke doesn't sleep. Ever."

"Ooh." Aki abandoned the tugboat, but hugged the frog to his chest as he waded over to Sasuke and crawled onto one of his thighs, his flabby baby butt perched right on top of Sasuke's very sore muscles. He'd had a particularly intensive training session and spar yesterday, but Aki didn't seem to notice the grimace Sasuke gave each time the toddler bounced. Sasuke closed his eyes, and when the bouncing stopped, he felt two tiny arms attempt to wrap around his middle.

"You look sad. I give you hug," said Aki-chan.

Sasuke's eyes fluttered open, and he stared down at the mess of wet blond hair right underneath his chin. "I'm _not _sad."

"Uh huh, sure. Sakura-neesan says it's okay for me to cry if I happy or sad. You, too, Thoth-u-thkay. You cry, too."

Sasuke gave a grunt and put his hand on top of Aki's head. The child looked up at him keenly. "I am not sad," he said in a firm voice. "I do not need to cry. Ninja do not cry no matter what Sakura tells you."

"Boo." Aki stuck out his bottom lip. "I think it okay to cry when you feel like it. I don't want be ninja if I can't cry like Sakura-neesan say."

"Fine," said Sasuke, a bit nastily. "Don't be a ninja."

Aki scowled and crossed his arms. "Fine," he repeated, imitating Sasuke's tone. "Fine. Fine. Fine."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Fine."

"FINE!" Aki shouted. "Ninjas are mean!"

"Yes," said Sasuke, bringing his face very close to Aki's, their noses almost touching. "Ninja are very mean. They like to eat children for breakfast." He poked the child's belly. "You're fattening up quite nicely."

Aki burst into giggles when poked and grabbed hold of Sasuke's finger. "Thoth-u-thkay's weird and silly."

Sasuke sat up and leaned back against the tub, his arms resting on the sides. "You think so?"

Aki-chan started bouncing on him again and while laughing happily, he said, "Yeah. You weird. You _really_, really weird."

* * *

><p>Once Aki turned seven, they had decided to enroll him into the ninja academy.<p>

The decision had come after nearly a year of debate between Sasuke and Sakura. Sasuke was, for his own reasons, vehemently opposed to raising a ninja. In fact, while he had promised Naruto prior to his death to take custody of the child should anything happen to him, he didn't really consider that it meant _indefinitely_.

By the age of 26, Sasuke had gone from Konoha genin to rogue ninja to Akatsuki member to the entire shinobi nation's No. 1 enemy to... well, whatever he was currently. Had it not been for the fact it was Naruto's dying wish to see Sasuke's crimes exonerated, where would he be? Wandering alone, in prison, dead? Grudgingly, over time his peers (with the unsolicited influence of Sakura, Ino, and Neji) had come to accept him. After Naruto died and the Fifth retired, Kakashi had taken the reigns, at least temporarily, until someone else could fill his place. But temporary had turned into three years already. Sasuke had, officially, become a jounin at 18. He'd - when Akiyoshi turned four - spent a year with ANBU black ops and worked, much to his dismay, alongside Sai. Sai, Kakashi, and himself had begun working together to restructure the Foundation, although Sasuke's privileges to information were extremely limited despite his consistent attempts to prove his loyalty. But he and Kakashi had evolved between them a tentative friendship. However, Sasuke maintained a suspicion that it had more to do with the older ninja's guilt for Team 7's disintegration, Sasuke's abandoning the village, and Naruto's death.

Personally, Sasuke blamed no one in particular for Naruto's death, except maybe Naruto.

It was Sakura who insisted Naruto would have wanted his child to attend ninja academy. It was also _her_, more than Sasuke, who had taught Akiyoshi basic ninja techniques and rules and also the village's history. If Sakura talked to Akiyoshi about Naruto, Sasuke did not care to know. No one mentioned Naruto in front of Sasuke very often unless it was Sakura or Kakashi, and Sasuke's response was always to promptly teleport from the room in a puff of smoke.

Although, there was a period when Akiyoshi reached the age of six that he asked Sasuke whether he was Aki's Dad and other questions that Sasuke was rather overwhelmed and unsure how to answer. In the end, he chose to evade the questions or told Aki to ask Sakura.

Sasuke managed to care for Akiyoshi with a sort of detached fascination because every year, he came to look more and more like his father. Sasuke tried early on to kick any possibility of a strange speech pattern. Apparently, it was genetic. Naruto had always spoken quickly and animatedly, but Aki could be very careful about the words he chose. Even though Akiyoshi had been wild as a toddler, he'd become more calm, more thoughtful, more subdued - traits Sasuke attributed to the child's mother. The boy had even come to understand when Sasuke wanted to be left alone, and there were also times when Akiyoshi tried to provide him with comfort. He'd grab one of his favorite books and sit on the couch next to Sasuke as he read through various reports. Aki wouldn't say a word, and it was as if he figured Sasuke could do with some company. Often, Sakura took Akiyoshi for the weekends, but they accommodated each other when long-term missions became unavoidable. Very briefly, Sasuke entertained the idea of a relationship with Sakura, and for two weeks when Aki was five, he supposed they did have one, but it fell apart quickly. They were compatible, sure, and they shared Akiyoshi in common, but it had all been propelled by loneliness. A conversation that shouldn't have ever been started, where, for the first time in years, they spoke freely of Naruto. So they'd slept together. Akiyoshi was very happy about it at the time, because he thought he would have a mother and a father just like a lot of the other kids did. Although, oddly enough, one of Akiyoshi's playmates included the child of Kurenai and Sarutobi Asuma.

That meant Sasuke saw a fair amount of Shikamaru.

Shikamaru, Sasuke had always thought, was lazy and worthless, even if he _had_been the first of the Rookie 9 to attain the rank of chuunin. But, Shikamaru had become a brilliant strategist. His father, Shikaku, had died two years ago, and Shikamaru had taken over as an advisor to Kakashi. It was even rumored that Shikamaru might, within a few years, become the next Hokage. Or, at least, that's what Kakashi had hopes for and said to Sasuke when they were in private. When Sasuke hung around with Shikamaru they talked only of unimportant matters or they played shogi. Sometimes, there were things Sasuke wanted to ask Shikamaru, about the time when Sasuke was..._disturbed_, but he didn't have the courage to ask what Naruto had been like during that time. He'd never been curious while it was happening. In fact, he had tried to keep Naruto out of his head for so long. At least, up until their confrontation on the Samurai Bridge in the Land of Iron after Sasuke fought Danzou.

How long ago had that been now? Almost a decade? Yet, there were times when Sasuke awoke in bed, the words Naruto had said ringing in his ears.

"_If I die, we both die_."

But, Naruto was dead, and Sasuke remained alive, whether he wanted to be or not or whether he felt like he was really alive or just the walking dead.

And so, on and off, for the past year, he and Sakura had debated Akiyoshi's future. While shinobis were still needed to protect the individual nations and the feudal lords, they were receiving less support - financially and politically. After the fourth great ninja war, civilians had become skeptical about the use of ninjas. Before, it had been the main profession of hidden villages, but now there were other options for children. Yet, Sakura had insisted, and Akiyoshi had given Sasuke several silent treatments because he'd decided on his own that he wanted to follow in his Dad's footsteps and become a great ninja. Aki was proud of his heritage, and Sasuke, however painful it was to relate, could understand the desire to continue on his father (and mother's) will.

The final conversation ended with Sasuke saying, "Do what you want" and storming out of the house. Sakura must have taken that as an affirmative so she registered Akiyoshi for his first year of academy, where he would be taught by Ino. The second year and third year, he would be taught by Iruka-sensei, who also frequently visited the household and would take in Akiyoshi whenever Sasuke got in a bind over a babysitter. Iruka and Akiyoshi were extremely close. Sasuke had wanted to be left out of such decisions, but a few months after Akiyoshi had been born and only a month after Naruto had died, Sakura had asked Iruka to be Akiyoshi's Godfather.

Sometimes Sasuke wondered why Naruto had asked _him_to take his son and not Iruka. It would've been less of a burden on Sasuke. Not that he didn't realize what he owed Naruto, but that was between himself and that damned dead blond idiot.

Knowing Akiyoshi was in the care of Sakura the weekend she registered him for academy, Sasuke had gone out of the village for a few days to blow off steam. Much to his chagrin, he'd been asked to wear a tracking bracelet, which he did without protest. He simply had to get a way for a while. He donned a disguise and passed through the east of Fire Country to Grass, avoiding the Sound village altogether and ending up in Wave Country for a few days in a run down inn next to the sea. The water lapped underneath his window at night, and the air was so fresh. He thought he could be happy in this shabby fishing village if he were ever to leave Aki-chan with Sakura or if he decided to move the boy here with him.

Like hell he'd raise a Mist ninja though. They all grew up with foul mouths as bad as Suigetsu.

After his three-day holiday ended, Sasuke was back on the road to Konoha, where once he arrived home, Akiyoshi ran down the path of Sakura's front yard and nearly tackled him. He wrapped his arms around Sasuke's waist and buried his face into the cloak he wore. Sasuke had shared a conflicted look with Sakura as he pet the boy's shimmering flaxen hair.

After they left Sakura's, he took Akiyoshi to the spot in the woods where he used to practice throwing shurikens when he was younger. He hadn't been there in a long time, and he had to re-carve the targets into the various trunks. He showed Aki twice how to hit all 12 targets at once. Aki could do three or four at best, which wasn't altogether unimpressive for a seven year old. If Akiyoshi was some sort of prodigy or genius as his grandfather had been and, perhaps, as his Dad had been, he hadn't shown it yet, but Sasuke had seriously neglected the boy's potential. So, if he was going to be sending the child he'd been raising for the past seven years to the ninja academy, he couldn't send a dunce, even if the surname remained Uzumaki and not Uchiha. But he was, in a way, an Uchiha, so Sasuke couldn't deny his pride and would, likely, spend the summer attempting to train Akiyoshi in preparation for his first day of academy. After all, he didn't want the poor kid to perform as pitiably as Naruto had all those years. Sasuke would not be bringing up a dropout whether they were related by blood or not.

Also, having Aki-chan at the academy every day would allow Sasuke to take on more missions. It took a considerable amount of money to raise a child as a bachelor.

On the way home from shuriken training, Akiyoshi asked if they could stop by Ichiraku. Sasuke was reluctant at first, even if the Ichiraku had been rebuilt and was not entirely the same as it had been all those years ago. It was in a different location of town, more toward the south than the center, but at seeing the flaps, there was a moment where Sasuke expected to see a young boy with blond hair in an ugly orange jumpsuit with a dozen empty ramen bowls stacked next to him.

When they walked in, there was no such thing, only a couple of jounins Sasuke barely knew who stopped talking the instant they entered. The owner, who was getting on in his years, greeted Akiyoshi warmly, and the owner's daughter gave him a hug and told him how big he was getting. Aki told them about starting academy in the autumn. Sasuke politely answered their questions. He didn't order anything for himself, but Aki had two bowls. He wanted a third, but Sasuke said no.

By the time they left Ichiraku, it was later, almost Aki's bedtime. The night sky had turned dark, but the stars were out. They were walking, Aki's hand in Sasuke's, while the young boy stared at the sky. He kept tripping over rocks, and refused to keep his gaze on the ground despite Sasuke's scolding him.

Akiyoshi pointed at the sky, asking wistfully, "Is Daddy watching me from up there? Do you think he'd be happy I'm entering the academy?"

Sasuke paused too abruptly, causing Aki to trip over his own sandals and fall back against Sasuke's front.

"Oji-chan?" Akiyoshi called, gazing up at him curiously, his tiny brow wrinkled in concern.

Sasuke shook his head, and they continued on their way. After a couple of minutes had passed, he told Aki, "I'm sure he's up there watching, and yes, I bet he's very proud you're following in his footsteps."

"Y'think so?" Aki asked excitedly. "Do you miss him very much?"

Sasuke squeezed the tiny hand. "Who knows."

"Maaah, you never tell me anything about him!"

"I'm sure Sakura tells you whatever you want to know," he replied.

"Not really. She tells me some things, but I wanna know what _you_thought of Dad and the fun times you had together!"

"Fun times?" Sasuke frowned. "Maybe when you're older."

"You always say that! When am I gonna be old enough?"

"Hm. Never probably. I hope to delay it as long as possible."

"You're funny, Sasuke," said Aki. "So weird."

"Your _Dad _was weird. Did you know, he only ever wore orange when fighting?"

"Orange?" Aki gazed up at him, his face scrunched up like he'd stepped in some nin-dog poop and had a sniff of it. "What sort of ninja does that? Enemies would see him right away!"

"Tell me about it," said Sasuke. "I think that was the point though."

"What was?"

"Naru-," Sasuke paused and corrected himself, "Your _father _wanted to be seen. By everyone."

"He can be seen by everyone, can't he? His face is on Mt. Hokage, right?"

Sasuke stopped and crouched in front of the boy, pushing his shaggy hair out of the way and making a mental note that he needed a haircut. "Want a piggyback ride?"

"Uh, yeaaaaaah!"

Aki climbed on his back and loosely wrapped his arms around Sasuke's neck. Sasuke was reminded of a time long ago when he'd twisted his ankle and Itachi had carried him this way, past the old Konoha Police Station. They continued home, taking their time, and it was in Sasuke's bed that Akiyoshi fell asleep while being read one of his favorite bedtime stories about a boy who grew up to be a famous samurai named Masamune. As Aki lay snoring, Sasuke covered him with a blanket and went out onto the balcony. He stared up at the stars, half-expecting to hear Naruto's voice come from somewhere, but all was mostly quiet save for a lone locust hidden out in the handful of cherry blossom trees he'd planted last spring.

It wasn't long before he went back inside the bedroom to check on Akiyoshi, who was fast asleep and sprawled across the entire width of the bed. Gently, Sasuke rolled the boy to one side and got in under the sheet. Aki, having sensed the new warmth, latched to his side and let out a contented sigh. Sasuke found himself running his fingers through the boy's hair while gazing at the ceiling. He shut his eyes as he continued to run his fingers through all that soft blond hair, trying not to let any of the thoughts come about the person that hair reminded him of the most.


	2. 10 years old

It was already midday, and Sasuke stood out in the yard, hanging laundry on a clothesline. The sun was shining, its rays beating against the back of his neck. It was early spring. Akiyoshi was almost 10 now and in his second year at the academy.

In an hour, Sasuke had a meeting scheduled with one of the new ANBU captains - a woman - to go over some newly implemented tactical strategies for four-man cells. It had been one of Sasuke's suggestions to Shikamaru, so for the past six months, it became a pet project of his to put together guidelines that offered suggestions regarding the amount of equipment a four-man cell needed on short-term vs. long-term missions; the most efficient formations of a cell during long-range vs. short-range battles according to each individual's affinity and combat style; and a section on practical team-building exercises for newly appointed captains trying to take control of and gain the respect (and submission) of the other members of the team. Sasuke had been an ANBU and a captain but hated the inadequacy and inconsistency of the training process. Being ANBU was entirely different than being a jounin; therefore, it required a different approach for a captain, because, often, the teams were put together at random and the ninja had not necessarily built relationships the same way as genin teams did after graduation from the academy. Trust and loyalty did not materialize within a cell just because they were told to get along. That was the reality of forcing together exemplary and skilled ninja egos.

As he finished hanging up the final piece of laundry - a cobalt blue shirt of Aki's - said boy walked out of the house and into the back yard, his shoulders hunched and hair falling across his face.

Sasuke's reaction was immediate. "Why aren't you at academy?"

Aki stopped approximately 10 paces from Sasuke and looked up at him. He was sporting a black eye. "I got sent home. I'm suspended for a week."

Sasuke stared in mild disbelief for a few seconds. He'd never heard of Akiyoshi ever getting into trouble at the academy. He strode over to the 10 year old, expression quite stern, but Aki did not seem all that intimidated. Sasuke got down on one knee to examine the boy's eye, pressing the skin just under where the bruising reached. Akiyoshi winced a little.

"You're grounded," said Sasuke. "Let's go put some ice on it." He started to get up and go toward the house, but Aki grabbed his wrist.

"That's not fair! Don't you want to know what happened? I was defending _you_!" he shouted in a voice that cracked.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, first at the small hand gripping his wrist and then at the young boy whose sky blue eyes shone with determination and anger.

"I don't need you to defend me," Sasuke retorted more coldly than necessary and loosened his hand away from Aki.

Akiyoshi looked hurt as he let his arm fall to his side. "But this boy in my class was saying all sorts of awful things about you!" He fisted his hands, "He called you a traitor! He said you were a bad guy even though you used to be friends with my Dad! So, I told him he was a liar, and we got into a fight!"

Sasuke took this in with a calmness that only age and experience made possible. "I see."

Aki stomped his foot. "Aren't you mad he said you were a traitor?"

"I have a meeting in an hour. I don't have time for this. Akiyoshi, you're old enough to know better than to behave like this, and you should've been able to avoid a punch from a fellow classmate." Sasuke began to walk away again when Aki called out to him quietly.

"It's not true is it?" he asked Sasuke. "You're not a traitor to Konoha, are you? Why would my Dad be friends with a traitor? It doesn't make sense."

Sasuke paused before answering, "Life isn't so generous that everything we encounter, even what causes us pain, makes any logical sense when it happens. Consider it a lesson learned."

Inside the house, Sasuke had only just gathered some ice cubes into a rag when he heard Akiyoshi run upstairs into his bedroom and slam the door. Sasuke sighed, letting the rag unravel. The ice landed with a clunk at the bottom of the sink. He was too old for this sort of crap, and the way Aki had looked at him out there was almost identical in expression to the way Naruto used to do. Even after all these years, he hadn't forgotten that moron's face or his fierce convictions that his sense of right and wrong was absolute. Sasuke's past was something he'd kept guarded from Akiyoshi. He would not deny or apologize for what happened in the past, and it had never been required of him to do so.

In the end, Sasuke consciously chose not to go up to Aki's room and tell him the truth. It didn't occur to him to comfort the boy. He did not want to see that expression again, so he left the ice to melt in the sink, grabbed his jounin vest off of the chair and headed out of the house.

* * *

><p>The meeting went on longer than expected. The female ANBU, Haruka, had been incredibly intelligent and pragmatic. Sasuke could understand why she'd been assigned captain at the young age of 21. She was attractive, too, Sasuke guessed. She had dark purple hair tied into a high ponytail and eyes that were almost gold in color. Her skin was tanned and her figure athletic but curvy. So impressed was he with her that he had every intention of adding several of her suggestions to the proposal's next draft. However, her professional demeanor relaxed at the end of the meeting when Sasuke was about to excuse himself and she asked if he wanted to get dinner. At first, Sasuke thought it was a joke - not that Haruka seemed the joking sort. His first inclination was to refuse. Being a ninja was already difficult enough, but that he was also raising a child made it impossible to have a personal life. But, something in the back of his head wouldn't let him refuse, and, while tonight wasn't good for him because he knew he couldn't leave Akiyoshi alone, he did say he was free for dinner in a couple of days.<p>

Haruka seemed surprised but extremely pleased, and they parted amicably. If anything, at least Sasuke could get laid. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd had sex, and he had some serious stress to work through.

On the walk home, he happened to be passing by Ichiraku, so he decided to pick up a couple of bowls of pork miso ramen and a large side of fried rice and some takoyaki. Not that he should be rewarding Aki's suspension, but he really was a good kid. He did as Sasuke told him, his grades were always the best in the class, and when Sasuke took him out to the training grounds, the boy was an incredibly quick learner. It was almost a shame that he wasn't part of the Uchiha bloodline, but given his mother's hereditary background, there was still the chance of a bloodline trait. After only seeing a technique once, Akiyoshi was usually able to perform it within a few attempts.

As soon as he was inside the house, he was certain it was empty. There were no lights on, but the sun hadn't completely set yet, so the dying colors of the day bled through the windows and scattered across the floor and furniture. He walked into the kitchen and set the paper bag on the counter. As he went up the stairs and into Aki's room, he found clothing strewn everywhere (usually Sasuke made him keep it fairly clean) and there was a note folded into a triangle on the desk. Sasuke unfolded it and read the contents:

_I'm going away for a while, so don't come looking for me! You won't find me anyway and you'll probably be better off without me and you'll have more missions and can get married and have kids of your own!_

_-Aki :-(_

Maybe it wasn't the greatest first reaction, but Sasuke really wanted to laugh. It probably had to do with the face Akiyoshi had drawn. It was just so... Naruto. So ridiculous. Such a cry for attention that Sasuke took a seat on the side of the bed that faced the second balcony. He put his hand to his forehead and laughed.

"Of course your son would be a pain in the ass, Naruto. Why would I expect him to be any different than how you were at this age?" Sasuke shook his head, re-folded the paper, and stuck it into his pocket.

There was no way a 10-year-old ninja could have made it very far. He certainly wouldn't be allowed outside the borders of Konoha. Someone would have seen him, and plenty of people recognized Akiyoshi given his father had been a Hokage and Uchiha Sasuke was his current caregiver. So where would he go? Iruka's? Sakura's? A friend's?

Sasuke opened the door to the balcony and jumped onto the roof. Dashing around, he scouted for a tuft of blond hair in the crowds below, but he was sure he knew exactly where Akiyoshi had gone. When he reached the training grounds, there was a genin team sparring with their sensei, who Sasuke knew as Wataya Renshou. Wataya noticed Sasuke's presence and came toward him, a hand raised in greeting. As soon as he stepped away from his team, the two genin boys started picking a fight with one another.

"Friggin' brats these kids," said Wataya. "Anything I can help you with Uchiha-san?"

"Have you or your team seen Akiyoshi here tonight?"

Wataya scratched the back of his head. "Can't say I have. Hey, Togame," he called over his shoulder to the small girl with bright red curly hair, "Have you seen Uzumaki Akiyoshi anywhere?"

"Oh, Aki-chan?" She said, twirling her hair around her finger, speaking more to Sasuke than her sensei. "I saw him about an hour ago. He was having an argument with some kid I didn't recognize and then he disappeared that way." She pointed in the direction of the Forty-Fourth training ground, otherwise known as the Forest of Death.

Suddenly the situation wasn't so funny anymore. "Wataya, sorry to cut your training short, but would you mind finding Sakura and telling her what's happened?"

Sasuke didn't wait for Wataya's acknowledgment before sprinting toward the forest. The chains to gate No. 6 had been broken. Sasuke hurried inside, immediately recalling all the possible threats hidden within the grounds. He operated solely on adrenaline as he searched the forest floor and branches for signs of a trail. He discovered a pair of footprints that went on for 30 yards before they disappeared. Akiyoshi must have thought to cover his tracks after that point. Overhead in one of the trees, a large bird with feathers the color of sapphires flapped its wings in warning and let out a shrill call that sounded like a siren.

Sasuke must have been searching for nearly 20 minutes before Sakura caught up with him, planting herself behind him on a branch.

"What took you so long?" asked Sasuke snappishly. He turned around to glare at her, a kunai in his hand after he'd used it on a poisonous two-headed lizard that still writhed in pain under his foot. Without even blinking, Sasuke stomped his sandal onto its head, putting it out of its misery.

Sakura looked disgusted as the blood splattered across the bark. "I was at the hospital, not at home! I got here as fast as I could!"

"Whatever."

Sakura rolled her eyes at his attitude. "Anyway, exactly what happened? Why would Aki-chan come to such a dangerous place? He knows better than that."

Sasuke stared out into the forest. The air had grown so humid that his skin was already coated in sweat. "He's mad at me." He reached into his pocket and tossed Sakura the note.

She scanned it quickly and seemed to be caught between laughing and trying to remain serious. "Oh my God, is this for real? This is so..."

"Naruto?"

"Yeah," she said, and the look in her eyes became momentarily distant, but she shook it off and started to chuckle

Sasuke put his kunai away. "Well, I'm glad you think it's funny considering he could be in the belly of a giant snake by now."

That seemed to sober Sakura a little. "I doubt that. He's at least above the level Naruto was when he started the chuunin exams."

"That's what worries me," said Sasuke. "It'll be better if we split up. I'll head toward the temple. You head toward the creek. Send a signal if you find him."

She took a few steps toward him and put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it. "We'll find him."

Sasuke's eyebrow arched dubiously. "Are you consoling me? I'm not worried. Like he said, I'd be better off without the brat."

Sasuke left her and darted off in the direction of the old temple built at the center of the forest. Akiyoshi better hope for his sake that Sakura found him first, because Sasuke's wrath could be a lot worse than any oversized reptile, and, after all, he had spent a considerable amount of time around those.

Another 40 minutes passed before one of Sakura's slug summons materialized onto Sasuke's shoulder and informed him that Sakura had found Akiyoshi about three kilometers northeast of the creek and that he was stuck in a deep hole with several leg fractures. There was a flash of relief he was very surprised to feel. It took him 10 minutes to travel a distance of 10 kilometers. Sakura leapt up from the bottom of the hole, her hands smeared with blood.

"I thought it was only a broken leg?" asked Sasuke, eyeing the red stains on her fingers.

"Apparently he fell into some poisonous vines. The outer part of the plant is protected by a sharp row of thorns that excrete a pretty toxic substance. I fixed the leg fractures, but I need to go collect a few things for an antidote. I wasn't able to remove all of the poison yet. Just give me about 10 minutes to gather some things." She put a hand on Sasuke's shoulder again, but this time it startled him. Sakura offered a fleeting smile before dashing away in a hurry.

Carefully, Sasuke leapt down into the darkness of the hole, latching onto sporadic bits of roots that stuck out so he would be able to avoid the mass of poisonous tangled vines at the bottom. Akiyoshi was lying in the dirt, his skin pale and covered with sweat and blood. His hair clung to his forehead, and his breaths were shallow. There were multiple scratches all over his arms and legs. Sasuke moved slowly over toward the boy and sat on the ground, bringing Aki's head to rest on his lap. It was a weird thing to think, but he was suddenly reminded of Karin from when he'd formed Taka all those years ago. Her body was always covered in his bite marks. He used to push himself so hard back in those days. He was always so reckless, but this was different. Sasuke had broken all his ties so that it wouldn't matter what he did to himself or what he did to others, but Aki was not him. This boy had no right to be so reckless, especially when his father and mother had protected him at the expense of their own lives.

He suddenly felt very furious.

Akiyoshi's eyes fluttered open. "Ow, that hurts."

Sasuke realized he'd been gripping Aki's wrist tight enough to empress blotchy red fingerprints on his skin. "It's going to hurt a whole hell of a lot more once I get you home."

"You didn't even," he wheezed, "W-want me to begin with."

"What? Who told you that?"

Aki sealed his lips shut and shook his head.

"It's no matter," said Sasuke. "That's no explanation for why you'd run away and come here of all places. You worried me, and you worried Sakura."

The boy only stared at him stubbornly, his cheeks growing red. Sasuke put a hand to his forehead to check for a fever. Aki felt warm, and he hoped Sakura would return soon. She said she hadn't gotten rid of all of the poison. Sasuke's body was resistant to all kinds of poison, so he took hold of Aki's arm and began to suck the poison out of the marks and spit it on the ground. Aki squirmed at first, but Sasuke scolded him and told him to be still. He finished the right arm and then went onto the left before Aki started to complain of dizziness. Sakura arrived right around then and administered an antidote that smelled like a pile of garbage left out in the sun for a few days. She smiled apologetically as Aki gagged on the medicine, some of it dribbling out the corner of his mouth. She pinched his nose and made sure he swallowed all of it while murmuring soothing words of comfort. Aki's head still rested in Sasuke's lap. It was only a few minutes before his breathing evened out and his complexion took on a healthier glow.

Sasuke gathered the boy in his arms as he stood. "Thank you, Sakura," he said to her earnestly.

"Uh. It was no problem. Naruto would've killed us if we let anything happen to his son, ne?" Her smile came somewhat forced, but he nodded at her anyway.

"Are you able to accompany me to the house or do you need to get back to the hospital?"

Sakura started putting her tools away into the pouch strapped around her lower back. She dusted her black gloves free of the dirt. "I have to get back to the hospital." She brushed Aki's bangs to the side and pressed her lips to his forehead. "But I'll come to check on him in the morning. Just set him in a tepid bath and wash out the cuts thoroughly. If he spikes a fever during the night, let me know." She was looking at him. "Are _you _going to be okay?"

"Why wouldn't I?" he asked, hushing Akiyoshi as he mumbled in his sleep.

"You should've seen the look on your face when I came back with the antidote."

Sasuke gazed at her blankly as if he had no idea to what she was referring.

"Anyhow," she said. "I've got to get going."

Sasuke nodded and watched her as she zigzagged back and forth against the crumbling dirt walls until she cleared the surface. He took out some rope from his pouch and made sure Aki was tightly secured to his chest. The hole was as deep as the ninja academy was tall. He chose his footing carefully as he jumped upward until his sandals were finally on grass. By then, the sun had set and all sorts of dangerous creatures would be lurking. It was good they'd been able to find Aki when they did.

It didn't take very long before he was out of the forest and on the training field, the genin team long since having gone home. He'd have to thank Wataya later.

When they arrived home, Sasuke stripped Akiyoshi of his dirty clothes and threw them in the hamper. He drew a warm bath and thoroughly washed out the rest of the wounds, sucking out the remaining poison from the cuts on the boy's legs. It was a process that took nearly an hour. Aki floated in and out of consciousness, barely aware of his surroundings or what was happening. Sasuke dressed him in the clean clothes he'd hung out to dry earlier and set him in the bed. He let Aki rest a while and went into the kitchen, where he poured some of the miso broth from the ramen into a separate bowl, re-heated it, and brought it upstairs. Akiyoshi slurped it greedily from the spoon as Sasuke lay in bed with him, feeding him like he was a toddler all over again. After Aki finished, Sasuke set the bowl aside and got him to take a few sips of water before he fell into a restless sleep. Sasuke continued to lie in the bed with him, watching for any signs of severe distress or fever.

It was an hour later that Sasuke started to nod off.

He wasn't sure how long he'd been sleeping, perhaps no more than a couple of hours, but when he awoke it was to the sound of turning pages. Akiyoshi was reading one of his academy books: _The Fundamentals of Defense Against Genjutsu_.

Maybe it was because Aki looked so much like Naruto under the light, that rare serious expression his former teammate had worn sometimes that Sasuke boasted casually, "I'm a genjutsu expert if you have any questions. I can teach you more than that book."

"Is that so?" asked Akiyoshi, grinning widely at him, but then the corners of his mouth tugged downward and he rubbed his lips together nervously. "I'm sorry for running away. I'm sorry for causing you and Sakura-onee-san trouble."

"You should be. You should go and apologize to Sakura tomorrow, and thank her for treating you."

Aki shook his head. "I will. I promise." He flipped the book around and showed Sasuke a picture of the sharingan. "You have this, don't you? It says only members of the Uchiha clan receive this doujutsu, right? Do you have it?"

Sasuke tilted his head and activated his sharingan. Aki let out an impressed boyish squeal of surprise.

"So cool! It looks just like in the picture! How old were you when you got it?"

Sasuke touched the glossy page and traced a circle around the eye that had the sharingan. "It wasn't complete until I was 13, but the first tomoe appeared when I was 12."

Aki squeezed against Sasuke's side so that they could both look at the pictures together. "Oh yeah? How did it happen? It says that it requires the user to have a strong emotional response to something or be under duress. Is that true?"

"I think that's true with most bloodline traits. It becomes activated under certain circumstances. It usually happened for me thanks to your Dad being an utter moron."

Aki laughed and punched Sasuke lightly in the arm. "My tou-chan wasn't a moron. He was Hokage! Morons can't be Hokages!"

"Then your Dad was the exception."

"So what happened?"

Reluctantly, Sasuke ended up telling him the story of Team 7's first high-ranked mission that led them to Wave Country and how they met two Mist ninja named Haku and Zabuza and how they all worked together as a team to fight the duo. He told Aki about what happened with Haku. That wanting to protect a friend had led to the first tomoe appearing, how the second came during the chuunin exams when he had fought a bad guy in the forest.

"That was Orochimaru, wasn't it?" Akiyoshi had asked. "We learned all about him in our history class with Ino. She said those who are ignorant of the past are doomed to repeat it."

Sasuke was impressed. "Your Dad had called me out on being a fake when I was unable to make a move. He fought Orochimaru on his own until a sealing jutsu knocked him unconscious."

"Wow. My Dad was only, like, 13 and fought a former sannin on his own?"

Sasuke nodded. "It wasn't the first time either, but I was in a coma during the time Naruto was traveling with Jiraiya in search of Tsunade."

All of this new information caused Aki to get overly excited. He bounced on the bed, like he hadn't just suffered some severe injuries a few hours ago. "A coma? Holy cow, why were you in a coma? Weren't you really, really, really strong when you were young?"

"Sit down." Sasuke pulled at a piece of Aki's hair playfully. "I'm still strong. I'd run into my brother Itachi, who used his mangekyou on me." He pointed to the picture of the generic mangekyou on the page. "This. He used a powerful genjutsu on me called tsukuyomi. His mangekyou could be used to manipulate time."

"Wow. He sounds really powerful. In our history books, they say Uchiha Itachi died a hero who dedicated his life to keeping Konoha safe."

Sasuke's lips parted and he held his breath for a few seconds. "Yeah, your Dad made sure that was written into any future history books once he became Hokage."

"That's why I thought that kid was a liar. The Uchihas were really great, weren't they? Your brother was a hero, and you were a hero. You had to be. I mean, Dad was Hokage. And I'm his son. They wouldn't give me over to just _anybody_."

Sasuke couldn't help but laugh. "Your Dad would've scolded you for saying something like that. It didn't matter to him whether someone was the Third's grandson or the First's granddaughter. He never cared about stuff like that."

"I'm the grandson of the Yondaime, right?"

"You are."

"So cool."

"What's important is that you be a good ninja and a good teammate."

"I know, I know. I won't _brag_about it. I'm just... really proud." Aki shifted around in bed, and almost shyly, he grabbed for Sasuke's hand and squeezed it. "I never got to know tou-chan. I'm glad Sakura-oneesan and Iruka-sensei always told me stories about him, but I always wanted to hear things from you. And, my Dad is my Dad, but you're... like a Dad, too. And you're Uchiha Sasuke. So, it's like I have two heroes as fathers. Mom, too."

Sasuke bowed his head, incidentally squeezing the small hand he held in his.

"You okay, oji-chan?" Akiyoshi asked, full of concern.

"It's nothing. I wish you'd been able to know your idiot father. You're a lot like him as much as I've tried to raise you not to be. Obviously he wouldn't allow me to live out the rest of my years in peace."

"Ha ha. You always say the weirdest things! But, even if you did bad stuff when you were young... I don't think you were ever a bad person. I just don't think that'd be possible. 'Cause, you've always taken care of me, and," Aki's cheeks turned a beet red.

"And?" Sasuke used two of his fingers to poke Aki in the forehead.

"And... and...," he stuttered and then defiantly yelled, "And I love you! I'm not embarrassed to say it like other boys. I really love you!"

Sasuke's heart might've stopped in his chest. Akiyoshi's eyes were big and round and full of conviction and sincerity. Sasuke had to cover it all up with his hand.

"This is obviously a side effect of the poison," he mumbled.

Aki took hold of Sasuke's wrist and moved his hand out of the way. "It's not! It's really how I feel!" As the boy started to cough, Sasuke eased him back down in the bed and made sure his head rested on the pillow. He felt his forehead again.

"See, you have a slight fever," he said to Aki. "You don't know what you're saying."

"You know, oji-chan," Aki's eyelids started to close, "I have this feeling tou-chan felt the same way. Or else he wouldn't have left me with you."

He flopped Sasuke's hand a couple of times and then let it go to curl up onto his side while giving a big yawn.

Sasuke sat a while, unaware of how his fingers kept stroking Akiyoshi's hair. He traced the curve of the child's ear and jaw and neck. After another minute, he picked up the genjutsu book and let it fall onto the floor. He turned off the lamp on the bed side table and listened to the sound of Aki's breathing. It wasn't the first time he'd wondered why Naruto had left him of all people with his only son. Was Naruto desperate? Did he really think Sasuke would make a good parent? Had Naruto expected him to stick with it and learn something from it?

"Damn it," Sasuke whispered as he fought such a strong desire to want to beat the crap out of Naruto for no other reason than he couldn't think of anything else that would make him feel better. It had been ten years, after all, so why did he think of that moron nearly every day?

As he settled into bed with Aki, he couldn't help but recall Naruto's outrageous speech where he'd assured Sasuke they'd meet in another lifetime, where Naruto wouldn't be a jinchuuriki and Sasuke wouldn't be an Uchiha. The thought of not being an Uchiha greatly disturbed him on some level, but now that Naruto was dead, was he free of his burdens? Was he somewhere waiting?

Sasuke rolled onto his side and threw his arm over Aki's waist, drawing him close to his chest. Aki let out a contented sigh. Sasuke sighed, too, and kissed the top of the child's head.

"Goodnight, Akiyoshi."


	3. 13 years old

In his 33 years, Sasuke, needless to say, had seen and experienced a lot already. When a militant group began to gain power and funding from certain lords and politicians allegedly connected with the Rice and Rain countries, Shikamaru was quick to form an alliance with the Kazekage, Raikage, and Mizukage. Together, the four nations, because of their long-standing personal ties since the Fourth Ninja War, decided they would share intel amongst each other. The militant group had been using guerilla tactics and slipped from one base to another, not unlike how Akatsuki used to operate. Yet, rather than rely on powerful ninja individuals, they relied on merciless attacks on the innocent to get the job done and their point across. At first, it started with smaller bombs being placed where political leaders were going to hold meetings with other diplomats, but then it grew to encompass national sporting events, festivals, and important landmarks. They started to target vital roads used to transport goods as well as bridges and shipping docks.

Even the Great Naruto Bridge had been targeted, but Sasuke - along with ninja from the other three nations - had been sent to prevent the bombing and take out the targets. That mission had been a success, but no matter how many targets they took out, the organization, known solely as _Saisei_, had no difficulty in recruiting new members. They solicited poor, uneducated youth and promised them food and shelter if they'd take up arms for their cause against the more prosperous nations.

The Land of Rain had long been a country trampled on by the more powerful shinobi nations who had always used it as a fighting ground without providing reparations. Before Naruto had died, he'd tried to work with Rain's daimyō in order to offer compensation on behalf of Fire Country and also to help rebuild schools and orphanages, but after Naruto's death, negotiations fell apart and his ideas never came to fruition.

The Land of Rice, home to the Sound Village, had dissolved after Orochimaru's death, but for the past 10 years, it had seen at least two attempts by powerful ninja to regain its former status as an official hidden village. The current Sound leader was shrouded in mystery, but it was known that the person was somehow associated with the Saisei group. Also, intel gathered within the last six months showed that two of Orochimaru's former bases were operating again under the dubious claim that they were being used as rehabilitation facilities for the country's most violent criminals as well as high-ranked criminals from other shinobi nations. In fact, because many of the great shinobi nation's prisons were overcrowded, they would pay Sound to take them off their hands and "do with them what they will." While these instances had been reported on, the paperwork was all legit from what Sasuke had seen and there was no physical proof that Sound had gone back to human experimentation or research into restricted jutsus.

Sasuke's contacts from when he'd been in Sound proved very useful and allowed Konohagakure quite an influential hand in how these political matters were handled and also gave Shikamaru, the village's eighth Hokage, a substantial amount of negotiating power during diplomatic discussions of these incidents and what tactics the Allied Shinobi Nations should take in order to begin disbanding Saisei.

It was one of these particular discussions that led to the organizing of an infiltration in what was presumed to be Saisei's main recruiting and training base and where its military strategists and tacticians met to plan their violent attacks. The base's location was said to be on the border of Rain and Earth, which also meant there was a possibility of the Tsuchikage's having involvement with Sound. It had already been made clear that the current Tsuchikage had no interest in an alliance with the other hidden villages. Ever since Ōnoki was killed in the battle between the Five Kage and the resurrected Uchiha Madara, Earth's relations with the other countries had been extremely tenuous, even more so when Konohakagure allowed Sasuke political refuge and exonerated his purported war crimes and involvement with the Akatsuki (despite Earth having been well-known for hiring Akatsuki on several occasions to bolster its militant leanings). This was an excuse that none of the other kages actually put much credibility in, especially Shikamaru. The Tsuchikage who replaced Ōnoki had taken his position under extremely questionable and even unethical circumstances, with several of Ōnoki's former council members resigning their posts in protest. However, at least two of those who resigned were killed in accidents that raised a lot of suspicion, but any connection between those deaths and the Yondaime Tsuchikage were, likely, erased.

Shikamaru ended up using a variation of Sasuke's guidelines he'd proposed for the ANBU teams three years ago in order to form platoons that consisted of allied ninja from the other nations. Often, Sasuke was asked to be captain to these 5-person platoons. They had been able to infiltrate other bases as well as prevent assaults that could have been extremely deadly had they been carried out. But the cost of fighting this group lay mostly in the amount of casualties they suffered. On one of Sasuke's last missions, they'd lost two people, one of which had been a well-trained medic nin from Suna. Sasuke had chastised himself for the loss of their medic and took sole responsibility for her death, despite the other team members arguing that her death would have been impossible to prevent. Saisei members knew they were to target the medic nin since it left the squad vulnerable to attacks when outnumbered.

On the day Sasuke's platoon infiltrated the town where Saisei's main base was located, he remembered it had been incredibly quiet. It was no more than a small trading post. Most of the inhabitants were farmers or traders. Anyone the team investigated was completely cooperative but had no information on an alleged militant group operating within the town's borders. Sasuke was suspicious from the start. They'd been fed incorrect information before from contacts paid off by Saisei's financial supporters, so he told his platoon to approach everyone with caution.

It was when Sasuke and another member from Mist named Tatsu were investigating a farmhouse a ways outside the town's border that they heard a large explosion come from the direction of the town center. A great plume of spoke rose into the air. Sasuke and Tatsu were on their way when a second and third explosion went off, and even from this distance, Sasuke could smell the gunpowder and blood. By the time they arrived on the main street where all the stalls had been located, there were bodies everywhere. Men, women, and children. Body parts littered the ground. Another squad member rushed up to them and informed Sasuke there had been a series of suicide bombers dressed up as farmers and tradesmen. Two of their team had been killed already in the blasts. As soon as Sasuke gave the order to withdrawal, a young boy no older than 13 ran in their direction, screaming at them to help, that they'd strapped explosives to his entire family. Sasuke only had seconds to warn his comrades to flee when the bombs strapped to the boy exploded and the three ninja were thrown across the dusty road in different directions. Sasuke's body flew through the glass of a furniture shop window, where he rolled across the floor and through at least two other walls before the ceiling crashed down on top of him. Already, he was aware he'd broken at least 20 bones and had a severe concussion. Their medic, he knew, had already been taken out, but, Sasuke was already painfully aware that he was the only one left alive.

He struggled to move, to get out from under the debris, but the structure began to collapse further and he had no choice but to lay there for a few minutes. However, within those few minutes, he felt a presence only a few yards away. He heard the sound of wooden planks being shifted, and when he saw who it was standing over him, Sasuke did not let any emotion show on his face.

"Long time no see," they greeted him. "Of course you must realize we'll be taking you prisoner. However, I think you'll find that our information retrieval tactics aren't quite as soft as the Leaf's." The woman, who had a plain muslin cloth wrapped around her head to cover her face, gave a laugh as she planted a harsh kick to Sasuke's already broken ribs. "I bet it sucks to run into me, doesn't it, Sasuke? After all, no one knows your strengths and weaknesses better than I do."

Sasuke had no idea what sort of jutsu she used, but after performing only a few hand seals, which he followed with his sharingan, the woman grabbed hold of the spot where the cursed seal had once been. The pain was excruciating, almost as bad as when he'd received the seal all those years ago from Orochimaru during the Chuunin Exams. He didn't make a sound, which seemed to displease this person, but the edges of his consciousness faded in and out until he was lost to a blackness so heavy and thick he was left to wonder if he'd ever come out of it. 

* * *

><p>He couldn't be sure how long he'd been imprisoned, but at least two weeks must have gone by since his platoon had been set up and annihilated by Saisei. They were deep underground, he could tell by the smell and the degree of air pressure in the cell. It was probably one of Orochimaru's old bases. The air was extremely thin and with all his injuries, including his broken ribs, it became difficult to breathe. Guards came at least twice a day to torture him for information, knowing full well he would not give anything, not even his name. Since being captured, he'd seen Karin only twice, and she was, both times, accompanied by a trio of guards. Karin had cropped her fire red hair short into a severe crop that came just under her chin. Other than that, her appearance hadn't much changed since the last time he'd seen her, which was after he and Itachi had taken on Kabuto nearly 17 years ago.<p>

Naruto had offered her asylum in Konoha once, but she had refused and last Sasuke had heard, she had been planning on settling down somewhere in Grass Country. Eventually after the war, Naruto discovered Karin had come from the Uzumaki clan. It wouldn't have been any of Sasuke's business to inform him when he'd found out from Kabuto. It figured that the one person in Taka who obsessed over him, chased him, and clung to him like glue would've come from the same bloodline as Naruto.

The cell they kept him in wasn't a whole lot different than the one he'd slept in while staying with Orochimaru. There was a cot, a toilet, and a rusty pail half-filled with water. They fed him once a day unless he was being punished. He'd gone a few days without eating already when he'd been able to loosen his bonds and thrown the guards against the metal bars of the cell. Some sort of seal had been placed on his skin, though, and it allowed Karin to track his movements and his chakra capacity even without her being physically near him.

What they were after, he did not know. Surely they didn't think they could use him as a hostage for bargaining purposes. His life wasn't worth that much anymore. Sasuke was more inclined to believe this was Karin's form of personal vengeance after he left her for dead. If that's all it was, he gave it very little thought. He didn't especially care whether he escaped or not, but he also wouldn't allow them the courtesy of retrieving any information from him no matter what they tried. The times they strapped him to a table and cut him or tied him up just to beat him until he crumpled onto his knees - he disappeared somewhere into his mind.

Another week passed, the torture intensifying every day until it became difficult for Sasuke to stand on his own, to eat what few crumbs they gave him, or even to clean himself. His hair had gotten longer and one night (or it could have been day), Karin came in with a large pair of shiny metal scissors. She had Sasuke tied to a chair, and they were left alone. He had his head bowed and was dressed in only a pair of loose, cotton pants. He'd lost weight, and the bruising he'd sustained had turned half of his torso dirty shades of purple, brown, and green. When she touched his cheek and pushed his face to the side, he almost winced. His jaw had been broken a few days ago from a kick to the face by a heavy metal boot worn by a guard as large as the Raikage.

"You know, seeing you in this condition, I'm not so sure why I ever thought you were attractive," said Karin as she circled him and ended up behind, where she pulled her fingers through his hair at the back. She started cutting it off haphazardly. "There were so many days I dreamed of being the one to take care of you, Sasuke, but you..." The scissors made a loud slicing noise as she cut off more hair. "You were just too good for any of us! Suigetsu was too much of a dumbass to get it, and Juugo was so blind in his loyalty to you because of Kimimaro. God, men are such retards!"

Sasuke remained silent and unmoving even as the cool blades of the scissors were pressed against the side of his neck.

"Except that Naruto guy, I guess." Karin finished and came around to the front. She put her hands on Sasuke's bare shoulders, digging her nails in. "He was such a good guy, and you really treated him like _crap_, too." She laughed in his face as she flung the scissors behind her, where they penetrated right into the center of a stone brick. "But, what's hilarious is that I've heard you've been raising his son! Uchiha Sasuke, a father! Oh God, do you know how hard I laughed when I heard? If he hadn't been the son of that guy, I probably would've snuck into Konoha and killed him. You should be thanking me for my kindness." Karin kicked the legs of the chair and sent Sasuke backward with it as she towered over him, sneering. "Not that you ever thanked me for anything."

She spat on him.

Sasuke kept his eyes averted. He was already somewhere far off, in a place where he didn't care what she said or what she did. There was, however, a small part of him amused by the poetic justice of this situation. Ghosts coming back to haunt him from his past.

"What's so funny?" asked Karin. "Is this situation funny to you? You _are_ going to die here, you know!"

Sasuke couldn't help it. He laughed.

"Huh? Why are you laughing?" She put her hands on her hips and came around to his other side, giving him a swift kick to the face. "You fucking Uchiha trash." Karin adjusted her glasses, the lenses flashing due to the light from one of the torches on the wall. She put the sole of her sandal down onto his ribs and applied pressure. Sasuke could feel one of his broken ribs start to puncture his left lung and began to wheeze.

Karin crossed her arms against her chest. "You seem so pathetic now. Softer, and nowhere near as powerful as you used to be. Then again, it's difficult for ninja to have much of a life expectancy when you think about it. Just like with your friend Naruto, right? I bet he went out with a bang though. I remember the first time I read his chakra, all I could think was how opposite you two were. His chakra was so warm, you know? And underneath, blegh!" She shivered. "Such dark chakra! Maybe worse than yours! To think you'd been childhood friends with the Nine Tails jinchuuriki and you didn't even _know_! It's so stupid!"

Sasuke looked up from underneath the strands of his hair covering his face, barely able to gasp in enough air, and smirked. "Thanks for the haircut," he rasped. "You were always so good at those domestic things."

"Why you," Karin narrowed her eyes to slits, "You wouldn't be so smug if you knew what Saisei has planned! Like there wouldn't be consequences eventually for all the countries that participated in the Fourth War? All those people who lost their houses? Their families? They're tired of elitist ninja snobs like yourself doing whatever they feel like without caring what it costs the average person!"

"I don't recall you being such a philanthropist," said Sasuke, licking his painfully dry lips.

"You'd be surprised what I've done since we last saw each other. How large our organization has grown, how much support we have! All I had to do was give them a bit of information and re-open some of Orochimaru-sama's old bases."

Sasuke felt a wave of nausea.

"You don't look so well, Sasuke. Would you like to take a bite for old time's sake?" She started to unzip her jacket, revealing a hint of creamy white skin. Karin waggled her finger at him. "Just kidding! Oh, and would you look at the time? I have to get going, so I hope you're _un_comfortable where you are. I doubt we'll be seeing each other again after this. Goodbye, Sasuke."

He watched her leave the cell, the torch flames flickering as the cell gate opened and shut with a loud clang.

Sasuke could barely keep his eyes open as he tried to focus on the cracks in the ceiling. He lasted only another ten minutes before he slipped into unconsciousness. 

* * *

><p>Five long, grueling, painful days went by since his meeting with Karin. Sasuke was sure every bone in his body was broken. If he had any sustenance at all anymore it was the blood he was forced to swallow when it came vomiting out of his mouth from internal injuries. He had no strength left in him - mental or physical. He spent these days drifting between consciousness and unconsciousness, experiencing all sorts of vivid dreams that clung to the heels of an approaching death. Sometimes he saw his parents being murdered, sometimes it was the fight where he killed Itachi. Other times it was Naruto. A lot of Naruto. But that imagery wasn't particularly violent. He saw them in a place he was unfamiliar with but that resembled the dock in Konoha where he used to sit as a child and stare into the water, hating that his reflection resembled his brother.<p>

The two of them would sit at the end of the dock, and Naruto didn't look any older than 15 or 16. Naruto did most of the talking, usually about random crap that Sasuke didn't really care about. But there was a warm connection to the images that made him not want to leave, that made him sit and listen for hours as Naruto prattled on about the weather, ramen, jutsus, movies, his favorite porno mags, or some cute girl he'd seen while traveling with Jiraiya over the years.

When Sasuke awoke from these dreams, or whatever they were, he usually felt disappointed. With every vision, he thought maybe he was closer to death. He did think of Akiyoshi, but it was hard to dwell on it because he didn't want to deal with the thought of failing in his promise to Naruto. But when would Sasuke be allowed peace? To be reunited with _his_ family? What did Naruto know? He had his entire family with him now that he was dead, and Sasuke only had this nuisance of a kid that Naruto had forced on him to raise.

Memories of Akiyoshi's time with him seemed to fade the longer he was here. The boy would be better off without him anyway, and he knew Sakura would be there to take care of him.

It might've been only hours later that a loud explosion ripped through the underground portion of the base, causing Sasuke's cell to shake and bits of the wall to crumble and scatter across the floor.

Sasuke could only think: _This is it._

He waited.

He thought he heard Sakura's voice calling to him. Kakashi, too. Others were there.

There was so much pain as he was lifted that he might've let out a grunt.

Warmth started to spread across his abdomen and all over his body.

Something wet fell onto his face. Like rain. It kept falling, cooling off his overheated skin.

Everything grew lighter and brighter until Sasuke's body filled with such a sense of gentle calm. 

* * *

><p>They were at the lake. The sky was an intense shade of blue, and the color seemed somehow familiar to Sasuke, who had his bare feet hanging over the end of the dock. He was watching Naruto float on his back, the rays of the sun already casting a healthy glow all over Naruto's exposed skin. After a while, Naruto started to swim toward him and climbed up to sit beside Sasuke. He shook his head like a dog would do, splattering Sasuke in the face with drops of water.<p>

"Idiot. You're getting me wet," said Sasuke, putting a few inches distance between them.

Naruto shook his head again and tilted it to each side, trying to get the water out of his ears. "Duh. We're at the lake. It's wet here."

"At least be considerate of others." Sasuke leaned back on his arms, basking in the sun.

"Ne, ne, Sasuke? Where do you see yourself in 10 years?" Naruto asked, nudging him with an elbow.

"Dead," he answered. "Ninja don't live that long."

Naruto scoffed. "Sure they do. Look at how old the Third got, right? I always thought he'd keel over at any moment, he was so old. And what about baa-chan? She's still around and she's," Naruto's whole body shivered, "she's _old_! You should see her without that jutsu keeping her young looking! It's enough to make your balls shrivel!"

"I would prefer not to think about your shriveled balls."

Naruto slapped him on the back. Sasuke punched him in the shoulder twice as hard until they were suddenly rolling around on the wood planks, laying into one another like there was no tomorrow. By the time they rolled apart, they were both panting and bruised. Naruto had blood running out of his nose that he wiped away with the back of his hand.

"I've been wanting to do that for ages," said Sasuke as he turned to look at Naruto.

Naruto smiled. "Yeah. Same."

"It's not as fun sparring with anyone else. Not that we ever got to spar much."

"I know what you mean," said Naruto. He adjusted himself, his green swimming trunks making squelching noises as he sat cross-legged beside Sasuke. The sun was starting to set, and the myriad of colors began to shoot across the surface of the water like a lop-sided rainbow.

"What's it like?" Sasuke asked suddenly.

"What's what like?" Naruto was peering over at him, an eyebrow raised and a fist tucked under his chin.

"Dying."

"Ah. Depends on how you go, I guess." He laughed, a sad sounding laugh, and stared ahead as two small ducks landed on the lake, making the water ripple. The feathers on their heads were a dark copper color. Their breasts were a stark white, while the rest of their bodies were speckled with tans, grays, and blacks.

"Okay. So when you died, what were your last thoughts?" Sasuke asked, his eyes on the ducks and the way they smoothly glided through the water.

"A lot of things at once, I guess. There was a part of me that didn't really realize I was about to _die_. I thought, okay, I'd been through so much, maybe I'd make it this time."

"But before all that, you'd still had the kyuubi inside of you."

"Yeah, I know. But I'd promised Kurama I'd set him free eventually. Anyway, I dunno. I was thinking of the village. Of the people in it. I was thinking of my family. Of our child." Naruto paused and took in a deep breath. A flash of pain crossed his features.

"Our child?"

"Well, hers and mine. And yours."

"I'm not his Dad," Sasuke replied, a sharpness to his tone.

Naruto shrugged. "Semantics."

"You don't know what semantics even means."

"True. I heard Kakashi-sensei say it once. Seemed appropriate."

Sasuke shook his head, frustrated. "There's no sense in talking to you even now. Why did I think you'd have any wisdom at this point?"

"Ha ha." Naruto scratched the back of his head. "You've got me there. What do I know? I'm the idiot who sacrificed himself for the village and left his kid with Uchiha Sasuke of all people. I thought, 'cause of what happened to me, if I ever had kids, I'd always be there for them. But, I guess these things happen."

Sasuke gave a bitter laugh. "It didn't _have_ to happen, you let it happen."

"Hey, Sasuke?"

"What?" he spat.

"Are you... mad at me for dying?"

"No. Why would I care? You've been dead for so long I hardly remember you." He looked at Naruto out of the corner of his eye.

Naruto's gaze was focused somewhere in the distance. "If you'd died instead of me, Sasuke... I would have been _so_ mad at you. I would've found a way to get down to hell and bring you back - "

"Hell?" Sasuke interjected but probably shouldn't have been surprised by the assumption.

" - And... Well. But that's not what was planned, I guess. Not in the cards. We knew it might come to that, though, didn't we? Or else I wouldn't have asked you for that one small favor."

Sasuke glared fully at him. "You consider asking me to raise your son a small favor?"

Naruto flashed a blazing smile. "But now you get to think of me every day when you see him. He looks just like me, doesn't he?"

Sasuke stared in disbelief.

"What?" asked Naruto.

Sasuke shook his head. "He does. He looks _too_ much like you."

Naruto seemed to understand. "I miss you, Sasuke. A lot."

Uncomfortable, Sasuke averted his gaze and shifted around, straightening his legs out in front. "It should've been me," he murmured.

"Don't say that," Naruto protested. "I'm glad it was me. I was Hokage. It was my duty."

"But if you would've let _me_ - "

Naruto held up his hand. "Hey, what's done is done. I'm fine. I'm with a lot of people I love. I wish I could be with Akiyoshi, but I can't. So, if I could have anyone in the world raising him, it just _had_ to be you."

Sasuke circled the fingers of his left hand around the wrist of his right and rotated it back and forth. "You could've asked Sakura or Iruka. They would've made better parents."

"Nah. It had to be you."

Sasuke looked up. Naruto's eyes sparkled with all the reflected colors of the sunset. It unsettled him. "Why me?"

Naruto grinned. "We're fated that way, I suppose. Who knows? Every time we live, every time we die, we'll end up running into each other somewhere."

"You're not going to start talking about how we'll meet in the next lifetime, are you?"

"Mah." Naruto rubbed his chin. "I told you then I wasn't good at lectures or speeches or whatever. And, you never know, maybe next lifetime you'll come back as a woman."

Sasuke's eyebrow shot up. "What would that matter?"

Naruto brought his knees against his chest and smirked. "Isn't it obvious? I'll be the guy. We'll get married."

"Disgusting," said Sasuke. "I have no intention of ever being your," his lip curled in derision, "_wife_."

"Maybe I'll be the wife?"

"Naruto, we're not getting married. I've already raised your kid once. You think I want to do it again?"

"But you're so good at it. What does he call you? Do you make him refer to you as Sasuke-sama?"

"Hardly," replied Sasuke. "You know I've never been one for honorifics. But, he calls me oji-chan. Though for the past year he's called me oji-san."

"Mm. That's because he respects you." Naruto made a fleeting gesture with his hand, like a half-hearted wave. "Does he... ever ask about me? Does he hate me?"

"Maybe you should ask him that yourself."

"That's a bit difficult considering the whole I'm dead thing." Naruto frowned across the way. The ducks started to quack. They flapped their wings and flew off together, circling around once before they headed away from the sun.

"Whose fault is that?"

"Mine," Naruto answered softly. "I take full responsibility for the pain I've caused and will cause my son."

Sasuke stood up, his the edge of his shadow falling across Naruto's knee. "What about the pain you've caused me?" he asked.

"I'll take that on as my burden, too," Naruto answered.

Sasuke sneered. "I'm dying. Right now, I know I'm dying. That's why I'm here."

"Nope, sorry. Won't allow it."

"That's not your decision to make," he hissed.

Naruto gazed at him calmly. "You still have things to do."

"I don't. I don't want to do anything. You said we'd die together, right? But I'm still here and without having contributed anything extraordinary."

Naruto got up on his feet and grabbed hold of Sasuke's shoulders, shaking him. "Are you kidding? Do you have _any_ idea what you did for me? And shit. Sasuke, you raised my _son_! How is that anything but extraordinary? I can never repay you for what you've done."

"You can by letting me die. Let me... go."

Naruto looked pained, conflicted. "I can't."

Sasuke smacked his arms away and lowered his head. "My... parents. My clan."

"They're here," said Naruto. "Waiting for you. Itachi, too. It's like a party, but I know how much you hate those, so consider yourself lucky."

"I...enjoy parties."

"Sure you do." Naruto smiled at him and folded his arms behind his head. "Ah haaah. What a nice day! I wish I could stay here forever. But, you know, Sasuke... when you die, you still have crap you're obligated to do. It's no different than living. Just as I have to do stuff from this side of things. Stuff others can't do... you have things to do on that side. Like, watch over Akiyoshi. Take care of Sakura. Thought you two would've been married by now."

Sasuke smirked. "I take it you don't peep in on everything that happens in my life."

"Why?" Naruto searched his face with confusion. "What happened?"

"It didn't work out. The only things we had in common anymore were you and Aki. We're good friends though."

"Of course you are, you're both part of Team 7!"

"Kakashi's good, too. As is Sai. Everyone is doing well, I think."

Naruto put his hands on his hips. "That's good, that's good. I'm really happy then."

Sasuke regarded him coolly. "Are you? You've always been such a horrible liar."

"Heh. Well." He rubbed the side of his nose, took a couple of steps forward and pressed the palm of his right hand to Sasuke's chest. "It's not a perfect situation, but... what I can't do anymore, I know you can. I trust you, Sasuke. Your brother once told me not to take everything on myself. That I'd be conceited to do that. So, I'm asking you. I will get down on my knees and beg if I have to. Stay with Akiyoshi. Stay with Konoha and take care of it."

The hand fell away, but the warm feeling on his skin remained.

Sasuke nodded. "You owe me."

"Of course."

"Would you really have gone down on your knees?"

Naruto's grin widened. "Definitely."

"So what happens now?"

Naruto wrapped his arms around Sasuke, hugging him tight as he spoke into Sasuke's ear in a voice that shook, "You wake up." 

* * *

><p>When Sasuke awoke in Konoha Hospital, he kept his eyes closed a while longer, holding onto those last images that had made him feel so much more like himself than he'd felt in a long time. It was painful to wake up and know this was his reality still. The machines beeped and all kinds of medical wards had been slapped onto different parts of his body. There was a heavy weight on his right arm, which turned out to be Akiyoshi, who'd fallen asleep at the side of the bed in a chair.<p>

Sakura was at the foot of the bed, reading notes attached to a clipboard. She came to the other side of the bed when she saw he was awake.

"Hey," she said gently, pushing his hair to the side and tucking it behind his ear, "How are you feeling?"

"Amazing," he said hoarsely. "How long have I been here?"

"About a week." Tears started to slide down her cheek as she collapsed on top of Sasuke and hugged him. "I didn't think you were going to make it! Even Tsunade-sama wasn't sure... and," she started blubbering so much that Sasuke couldn't understand her.

"Sakura," he growled. "You're heavy."

"I'm sorry," she said, moving off of him as she fiercely rubbed her cheeks. "I'm just so happy you're okay, but..." She averted her eyes.

"What is it?" Sasuke tried to sit up more in the bed, but it was painful.

"We weren't able to catch Karin, but at least now we know she's linked to Saisei and is apparently the newest leader for Sound. After we infiltrated the base, Kakashi-sensei was able to knock out a few of the guards, and Sai and some of the black ops retrieved a lot of their tactical information as well as some possible locations of attacks that are supposed to take place within the next month - "

"Sakura," Sasuke's head hurt too much to think about these things right now.

"Oh right, well. We can discuss it when you're feeling better." Her eyes turned toward Aki. "He's been really worried about you. He tried to run away at least three times to try and find you on his own. I had to have ANBU watch and restrain him if necessary."

"Hm." Sasuke put his hand on top of Akiyoshi's head.

The boy started to rouse from his sleep, his cheek stuck to the skin of his forearm. He smacked his lips together as he raised his eyes and saw that Sasuke was awake.

"Oji-san!" He cried and did the same thing Sakura had done earlier as he attempted to climb on top of Sasuke.

Sasuke allowed it and said nothing about the tears that began to slide down the open collar of his hospital gown. He pet the boy's hair, holding onto each golden-yellow strand until his fingers reached the tip.

"I'll give you two some time to talk, but I'll be right outside if you need anything. Also, Kakashi-sensei and Sai are in the waiting room. I'll let them know you're awake. Shikamaru was here about an hour ago. He's come in nearly every day even though he's been extremely busy working with the Allied Nations. Iruka, too. He'll probably stop by once he's able to leave the academy."

"Thank you, Sakura," he said as she left the room, and they both knew it was for a lot more than just keeping him updated. No doubt having her medical expertise when the rescue team arrived had an instrumental part in saving his life.

Not that dying had ever been a choice for him apparently.

"This is like when you were little and lectured me that it was okay for people to cry," he said against the side of Aki's head. He had nuzzled into Sasuke's neck. "You're not as small as you used to be back then."

"You saw tou-chan, didn't you?" Aki asked, surprising him.

The line of Sasuke's mouth became thin. "Shouldn't you be with your genin team training?"

"Did you see him? Did you see tou-chan? They said they weren't sure if you were gonna live, but I kept talking to tou-chan whenever I could and asked him to keep you here."

"I see." Sasuke ruffled the boy's hair. "I did have a chat with your Dad."

"Did he say anything about me?" Aki tugged at the dressing gown. He rolled to the side a bit so that his full weight wasn't on Sasuke.

"He said a lot about you."

"Mm. I knew he would!"

Sasuke looked toward the window and, for the first time, noticed that the desk was covered in cards. There were balloons and flowers. Aki noticed and glanced to where Sasuke had been staring.

"Isn't it cool? Everyone in the village has been talking about how brave you are and sending you things. All that stuff makes it look like we're gonna have a party, huh, oji-san?"

"A party..." Sasuke, with some effort, lifted his arm to touch his fingers to his lips.

"Un," Aki said, nodding his head excitedly. "We should have a party when you're feeling better! Everyone will be there!"

"Everyone..." Sasuke repeated, lowering his arm.

"What is it?" Aki asked. "Don't you like parties? Maybe it can just be you and me and Sakura-onee-san and Iruka-jii-chan and Kakashi-san and we can all get some ramen from Ichiraku and hang out in the backyard? Ne, ne, wouldn't that be fun? With all the fireflies that come out at night? We can have barbecue?"

"Shh," said Sasuke. "You're too loud. You talk too much."

"Hnn." Akiyoshi looked pleased as he threw an arm across Sasuke's waist and grinned. "I love you."

Sasuke heaved a sigh. "Damn you Uzumakis for being so sentimental."

"Ha ha."

"Don't laugh. I've tried to raise you so you wouldn't grow up to be exactly like your Dad."

"Nah. I don't think that's true at all. I think you like having a piece of Dad around to keep you company. Sometimes you look really lonely, and I can tell you're thinking about him."

Sasuke scoffed and moved so that he could put his hand on Aki's back. "I think about other things besides your Dad."

"But you _do_ think about him," Aki said, and Sasuke didn't have it in him to argue.

"I do. But apparently he wants me to stay alive at least long enough until you can take care of yourself."

Aki squirmed in the bed as Sasuke tickled the nape of his neck. "That tickles, cut it out! I'm a genin now, y'know? I can take care of myself just fine. You're the one who needs to be taken care of!"

Sasuke let his arm rest on the bed. "It certainly seems that way these days."

"S'fine," said Aki. "I'm gonna take care of you from now on all the way up until - "

"Until?" asked Sasuke.

"Until I'm Hokage, of course!" said Akiyoshi, who gave him a thumbs up.

"Yes, sure. Whatever you want. I already learned a long time ago not to tell you Uzumakis what to do."

"I know, right? We're stubborn, ne?"

"Indeed."

Akiyoshi peered at him with those striking eyes. Sasuke was reminded of the reflection of the colors of sunset he'd seen in Naruto's, but Aki's were lighter in hue, almost like crystal. Perfectly clear. Like the sky above the lake.

"What is it, oji-san?"

"Grow up to be just like your father."

"Mah," the boy laughed. "I'm gonna grow up to be a bit like him and a bit like you."

"Well then," said Sasuke as he smiled faintly. "I hope you only take after our best qualities. My intelligence, strength, and hygiene and your Dad's... sense of timing."

"Ha ha, okay. I'll do my best!" He squeezed Sasuke and grew quiet after a while, his breathing evening out as he fell asleep again.

Sasuke stayed awake. Their scents were somehow similar, too. It was...nice. He grabbed for Aki's hand and set it on top of his own chest. There was an ache there, but as always, Sasuke would survive. He had to anyway. He'd made a promise, and he intended on keeping it.

That had been _his_ way of the ninja, so maybe now it could be Sasuke's, too.


End file.
